DeSantis “Policy Team”

I have been accused to using unfair pictures on this weblog before. I want to point out, before anyone accuses me of getting this awful photo from Luke Ravenstahl’s campaign office, that this is the picture Mark DeSantis saw fit to use on his website to accompany his press release about this event.

Not only did he use a photo that made him look like the captain of the world-champion Pittsburgh dourness team, he also chose a policy group made up, according to the Post-Gazette, of this disturbing mix:

Two of the seven policy committee chairpersons live in the city, and three are Democrats.

Good choice, Mark. I am sure that city voters will be happy to know that you are 2/7 interested in what people who live in Pittsburgh think. He also explained why he has gotten to this point, two months before the election, without having made any specific policy proposals:

He said the challenges of reviewing prior reports, getting updated information from the city, and carefully crafting policy have slowed the process of unveiling policy planks, but proposals will be coming soon.

“I’ve been writing legislation and writing policy of all kinds” for many years, said the government and business veteran. “And you don’t take the souffle out of the oven before it’s ready.”

I can’t really see how someone would decide to run for mayor with so vague an idea of what he wanted to do that he would still have no policy proposals two months later. He didn’t even present any today: he just paraded out the sad-sacks who will be helping him decide what those proposals will ultimately be, whenever they get around to writing them.

What he did present was a cavalcade of Orwellian committee names. The Committee on Bridging the Cultural Divide will no doubt be spending a couple of weeks puzzling about what they are supposed to be doing with their time. They will have it easy compared to the Committee on Restoring Confidence in our Leaders, which will have to reconcile their dual dedications to restoring confidence in our leaders and getting them voted out of office. Compared to that one, the Committee on Sustainable Economic Development seems like a piece of cake.

The DeSantis campaign, which despite early hype lacks a muscular street program, grassroots support to speak of, the imagination to do anything other than pile on when their opponent screws up, and, still, any proposals for policy or legislation, is on track to be Pittsburgh’s biggest disappointment since three dozen costumed sci-fi fans waited for hours in line to see the midnight show of The Phantom Menace at the Manor.

5 Comments so far

YAWN! That whole group looks so sad and disgruntled. I think the whole campaign needs a little spice. Mark seems like an intelligent, intense, focused gentleman. I would personally like to see a little more electricity and interest with the campaign. Everyone seems uptight. I think Mark needs to be seen with some hot blonde.

First, I can not find that photo on the DeSantis website but it is obvious that DeSantis and the people behind him were listening to a question. It’s not like it was as bad as the Luke picture from last week.

Next thing – about the non-city residents on the team. Is it that big of a deal? Do a lot of the city Democrats and city business people want to go public with their support for a Republican candidate? That could be risky. In the non-city residents you have a number of former city residents and leaders of city organizations. Having a former city police officer, former county executive, a female entrepreneur, and two minority leaders on his team is pretty impressive. I wish DeSantis had put more city residents on that team but we should look at the positives here – and remember that DeSantis is serious about running an efficient city government if he gets into office.

My knock: James C Roddey has ‘gone to seed.’ He isn’t the new age leader Pittsburgh needed and he was voted out. But worse, Roddey did a lot of damage to the opposition movement in the city by saying he could not win and hence, no body else could as well.

Beating the machine Dems of Pittsburgh with a different machine — more corporate and more Republican — is not what is desired.

Roddey should speak with his wallet and not get into the spotlight. Jim, please drop $50k for the DeSantis lawn signs and get out of the way of the future.

Rauterkus – how is a team made up of a female entrepreneur, a minority attorney, a local non-profit CEO, a public safety official, and a college professor, and a former University Dean considered to be a corporate machine?

It appears that Roddey is the overall chairperson of the team but is he really the one making the policy decisions? I doubt it.

I agree with the Post Gazette. Mark needs to be more visible. He is not a household name.Very few people could identify him. He needs to get out a little more. Maybe he should go to some charity functions (ex: the Family House Polo Match,CLO functions, etc.)

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Move over, PedutoFox There is no way this can be real. How on earth does something like this happen?? Love it!

Wash your hands.Mike I haven’t seen them while I’ve been out and about (granted, I haven’t been in a school in...Eve I’ve seen these around Allegheny County for years…various schools, downtown businesses. It’s...

Only 72 days left…Fox I agree wtih you entirely. I have come SO CLOSE to blocking people on my Facebook news feed (as I’m sure...